Stuffed Eight-Jewel Mushrooms

Name: Stuffed Eight-Jewel Mushrooms
Cuisine: Hakka
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon sesame oil; ½ teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons dried shrimp, soaked for 30 minutes in hot water, drained, and minced; ¾-pound fresh pork butt; 3 scallions, washed, dried, with both ends trimmed, and finely sliced; 2½ tablespoons cornstarch; ¼ cup bamboo shoots, cut into ⅛-inch dice; 1 slice ginger, ½ inch thick; 1 ounce fresh chicken fat, or 2 tablespoons peanut oil (chicken fat is much preferred for its taste); 2 scallions, washed, dried, with both ends trimmed, and cut into thirds; 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce; ¼ teaspoon salt; 24 Chinese mushrooms, about 1½ inches in diameter, soaked for 30 minutes, washed, squeezed dry, with stems removed; 3 fresh water chestnuts, peeled, washed, and cut into ⅛-inch dice; 1½ tablespoons tapioca flour; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1 teaspoon light soy sauce; 1 medium egg white, beaten; Pinch of white pepper

Baht Bo Yung Dung Gu

Preparation info

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Eileen Yin-fei Lo's New Cantonese Cooking

By Eileen Yin-Fei Lo

Published 1988

About

The name of this Hakka preparation, Eight-Jewel, refers to the many tastes included in it. But the words baht bo also mean “eight sons,” which to the Hakka is an important message indeed, for sons carry the family name and take over family businesses. The Hakka do not have a dish called Eight Daughters. I wonder why?

Ingredients

¾-pound fresh pork butt

Asia
China
Guangdong Province
Cantonese
Main course
Starter

Method

Grind the pork, then mix with the ingredients for the pork filling. Refrigerate for 2 hours.
Place the mushrooms in a heatproof dish. Add the salt, sugar, and soy sauce and toss with the mushrooms.
On top of the mushrooms place the scallions, chicken fat, and ginger. In a steamer, steam them for 30 minutes, then set